Oars



Oct. 23, 1962 R. E. FRANKLIN 3,059,255

OARS

Filed Nov. 9, 1959 MMM/Mm lUnited States atent Office 3,059,255 PatentedOct. 23, 1962 ARS This invention relates to boat oars of a radicallynovel principle which facilitates travel and guiding of a boatparticularly when manually powered by an unskilled oarsman.

For centuries oars for rowing a boat have comprised elongated sweep armshaving substantially hat, widened blades at the outer portions thereoffor engagement with the upper stratum of the water and havingintermediate, shouldered fulcrumed portions .accommodated in car locks,tholepins, and the like.v The inward portions of the 'sweep armsconstitute handles or gripsby which rowing power from the torso and armsis applied. Most oars may be turned or feathered in their mountings toprovide for angular adjustment of the blades relative to the watersurface both in the dipping of the blades preceding a rowing stroke ,andalso for turning of the blades in the recovery or Vforward swinging orskying of the oars preparatory to the next rowing stroke. Accuratefeathering of oars by hand manipulation and turning to consistentlymaintain Veffective angulation of blade to water and for returning orskying the oars requires substantial experienceland skill particularlywhen a boat is rowed in wavesand currents. To reduce such difficultiesin calm water some oars are now pinned to the oar locks so that bladeangulation is preset and so that the oars may not be feathered. Howeverin windand waves the return stroke of the oars'is often very dilicultand in the propulsion or rowing stroke the oars often undercut the watermaking the return stroke difficult and also interfering with properguidance of the boat lby application of more rowing power to one oarthan the other.

It is an object of my present invention to provide boat oars which willsubstantially facilitate rowing particularly by an unskilled oarsman andwhich in use overcomes the diiiculties hereinbefore enumerated.-

More specifically it is an object to provide rowing oars which have`novel water-engagement elements in lieu of blades, so constructed .asto always provide an effective tion made in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar views, and in which:

FIG. l is an elevational View of one form of my invention in mountedrelationship with a boat shown in partial section;

FIG. 2 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale of the water engagingportion of the oar of my invention shown partially in section andpartially in elevation;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail view of still another form of waterengaging elementof the oar of my invention shown on an enlarged scale and shownpartially in section and partially in elevation; and v FIG. 5 is a crosssectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FlG.k 4.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings for a more detaileddescription of my invention. FIG. 1 shows one form of my invention inwhich the oar or sweep indicated generally by O is provided with a waterwater-en a ement `or-rowin surface without exertion of` .j

g g g generally longitudinally disposed radially extendingcirsubstantial downward pressure at the outer end of the oars and notrequiring'feathering or turning of the oars for application of properand effective strokes.

Another object is the lprovision of economical and highly` eicient oarsof the class described wherein a symmetrical and foraminouswater-engaging member is provided at the end of each oar offeringsuicient resistance to the water while permitting penetration of watertherethrough and maintained at an eiicient level for beginning of therowing stroke through -buoyant or float means provided in the member tocause adequate waterbridge and surface to be presented below the levelof the water regardless of `turning of the oar shank in any direction.

A further and more specific object is the provision of an oar having aterminal water-engaging or rowing member which comprises a longitudinaland symmetrical foraminous shell combined `with an interior andpreferably concentric float member, the specific gravity of the assemblybeing such as to dispose approximately half of the periphery of theshell below the water level when the oar is at rest and in outstretchedposition' and beforeY any downward or rowing pressure is appliedthereto.

'I'hese and other objects and advantages of my invention will morefully`appear from the following descripengaging portion, element or headA, which oar is pivotally mounted on a boat B by means of a conventionaloar lock L, the oar being provided withv a suitable conventional leathershoulder or abutment 10, for maintaining the oar in desired positionwith respect to the boat, the inner end 11 of the oar orsweepconstituting a handle or grip by which rowing power is supplied from therower to the water engaging portion or head A.;

The water engaging element or head-A comprises an elongate preferablysymmetrical annular shell 12 having .a main body portion `correspondingto a truncated conc` with the cross section thereof progressivelydecreasing in size from the inner to the outer end thereof and narrow-4ing from the inner to the outer end of said shell,.the outer end of theshell sharply tapering to and lterminating in a pointed conical section13. The head A is tapered as shown in one preferred form of myinventionto bring the working edge or sideV of the head into closeralignment with the water surface for more efficient rowing. The shell 12of head A is preferably of foraminous material such as expanded metal orscreening offering suicient resistance to the'water for propelling 'the'boat being rowed while permitting the penetration and passagecumferentially spaced alternate ridges or vanes 14 and depressions 15around the entire circumference thereof, the corrugated surfaceproviding a greater surface area exposed to the water and offering agreater resistance thereto when moved thereagainst during the rowingstroke. The shell 12 has a hollow sealed tubular member or cylinder 16disposed concentrically therewithin and providing a buoyant floatelement which is preferably sufficiently buoyant to permit approximatelyof the water engaging portion or head A to be disposed beneath thesurface of the water W under normal conditions with the oar at restprior to any downward or rowing pressure being applied thereto withapproximately the other half of said water engaging portion beingdisposed above the water level. The head A is provided with a series ofradial transversely disposed axially spaced reinforcing members orspiders 17 which in the form shown are disposed adjacent the ends and atthe midportion thereof. The head A is provided with a connecting sleeve18 providing a socket for receiving the outer end 19 of the oar O whichis retained therein by any suitable means such as the bolt 19a. The headand handle of .the oar are Ithus iixedly maintained in co-axialalignment with one another, as distinguished from a half of theperiphery hinged form of my invention hereinafter to be described.

The unhinged form of my invention employing the above described waterengaging portion or element A is particularly useful when employed on anoar which is free to rotate in its oar lock as shown in FIG. l and whoserotational movements are not confined by any retaining means such as theconventional pins frequently employed to pin the oars to the oar locksto preset the blade angulation and prevent -feathering although it is tobe understood that the unhinged form shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is equallyeffective when pinned to the oar locks for pivotal movement about ahorizontal axis. The symmetrical nature of the head A enables the waterengaging portion to always be in proper position and present sufficientwater engaging or rowing surface at all times thereby avoidingfeathering and under-cutting which occurs with conventional type oars.The oat 16 causes `the oar to automatically adjust itself to the desireddepth in the water at the start of each stroke and maintains the properamount of rowing surface of the oar in the water during the entirestroke, even though the oar should turn or twist in the rowers handduring rthe stroke. The tapered outer surface of the head A enables thehead to assume a stroke relationship with the water engaged therewithmore closely approximataely a parallel uniform straight linerelationship.

The head C shown in FIG. 4 is similar in principle and function to headA shown in FIGS. land 2 but is designed somewhat differently and ispivotally or hingedly connected to the sweep arm, and is designed foruse primarily but not necessarily with oars which are pinned to the oarlocks in conventional manner to prevent twisting thereof during use andfor presetting the head angulation with respect to the surface of thewater. in the form shown in FIG. 4, which is another form of myinvention, the head C comprises three concentric generally cylindricalelongate members 20, 21 and 22 respectively reading from the insidemember to the outside member, the inner cylinder 20 being sealed at itsends to provide a buoyant float member capable of providing sui'licientbuoyancy for the head C to maintain approximately half of its peripheryout of the water when at rest. The intermediate sleeve 21 and outersleeve 22 are of foraminous material such as expanded metal, screeningor the like and are adapted to provide sufficient rowing resistance tothe water engaged thereby while permitting the same to passtherethrough, the outer sleeve 22 acting as the initial water-engager,the intermediate sleeve 21 acting as a secondary water engager. Vl heouter end of the head C is provided with a conical portion or cap 23similar to conical cap 13 of head A. This form of my invention is alsoprovided with a series of axially spaced radially disposed stiffening orreinforcing members 24 which may take the form of spiders or a solidplate structure. The head C is provided with a sleeve 25 adapted toreceive the outer end 19 of the oar in the socket provided therein andfastened therein as by means of the rivet 26. The sleeve 25 is providedwith a suitable mounting bracket 27 which is pivotally connected to asuitable mounting bracket or ear 28 as by means of the pin 29, thesleeve 25 and the oar handle carried thereby being capable of beingselectively angularly adjustable with respect to the head C andmaintained in any given relative angulation by any suitable lockingmeans (not shown). This enables the head C to be angularly preset withrespect to the surface of the Water according to the individualcharacteristics of the rower to maintain the head substantially parallelto the surface of the water. The perforations or openings of theintermediate sleeve 21 are preferably smaller than those of outer sleeve22.

From the foregoing description, the advantages of my invention arereadily apparent. The symmetrical annular arrangement and design of thewater engaging portion or head enables the rower to repeatedly anduniformly engage the water with a predetermined amount of desirable headsurface during the course of his rowing stroke without having to contendwith feathering and undercutting of the terminal portion or waterengaging end of the oar even though .the oar should turn or twist in hishand while rowing. The float provided in the head prevents the head fromsinking and also automatically adjusts the depth of the head so that aproper portion of the water is engaged by the operator during any powerstroke thereof. These features are particularly advantageous to thenovice -rower who is not sufficiently experienced in handling theconventional oar to consistently position the blade to obtain a maximumof rowing efiiciency.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various partswithout departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An oar comprising an elongate handle and waterengaging meansconnected to one end of said handle, said means includ-ing a elongategenerally cylindrical foraminous annular body member to be disposedgenerally transversely to the line of rowing movement said body memberhaving openings in the wall thereof communicat-ing with the hollowinterior thereof.

2. The structure set forth in claim l, including float meansconeentrically disposed within said member for maintaining said bodymember at a predetermined depth when dipped in the water.

3. An oar comprising an elongate handle and waterengaging propulsionmeans connected to one end of said handle, said means including anelongate perforated annular body member disposed generally transverselyto the line of rowing movement and offering rowing resistance to thewater engaged thereby while permitting the water to pass therethroughthe perforations communicating with the interior and exterior of saidbody member.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3 including float means forrendering said body member buoyant and maintaining said body member at apredetermined angle and depth with respect to the water line when afloatin the water.

5. An oar comprising an elongate handle and waterengaging meansconnected to one end of said handle, said means including an elongatebody member having a pair of substantially concentric foraminous tubularelements disposed one within the other providing substantial resistanceto the water when moved thereagainst while permitting the passage of thewater therethrough.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5, including a sealed tubular floatmember enclosed within the inner foraminous tubular element andrendering the body member sufliciently buoyant to maintain said memberat a predetermined angle with respect to the surface of the water.

7. An oar comprising an elongate handle and waterengaging meansconnected to one end of said handle, said means including an elongateforaminous annular body member corrugated in cross section, and a watertight float element .disposed within said body member adapted tomaintain said body member at a predetermined level with respect to thesurface of the water the perforations in said body member communicatingwith the hollow interior thereof.

8. Oar structure comprising an elongate handle portion having waterengaging propulsion means mounted on the outer end thereof, said meansincluding a downwardly facing generally convexly curved foraminous waterengaging shell portion whose aXis of curvature extends generallytransversely of the direction of rowing movement and which presents acurved foraminous working face to the action of the water during rowingthe foraminous shell having openings communicating with the hollowinterior thereof.

9. Oar structure comprising an elongate handle portion having waterengaging propulsion means mounted on the outer end thereof, said meansincluding an annular generally cylindrical foraminous shell, and aseries of generally radially extending circumferentially spaced apartrib means symmetrically disposed about the axis of said shell providinga uniformly corrugated exterior, said foraminous shell extending betweenand interconnecting the outer end portions of said ribs the foraminousshell having openings communicating with the hollow interior thereof.

10. An oar comprising an elongate handle and water engaging meansconnected to` one end of said handle, said means including an elongateforaminous annular shell substantially symmetrically arranged about itslongitudinal axis and presenting substantially similar water surfaceportions about the entire periphery thereof, and a second foraminousannular shell mounted substantially concentrically within said rst namedshell, the openings in said second shell being smaller than those insaid tirst named shell.

11. In oar structure, propulsion means :for mounting on the handle ofthe oar, said propulsion means comprising a downwardly `facing hollowwater engaging shell having generally opposed spaced apart foraminouswall portions-normally disposed generally transversely of the directionof movement, said foraminous wall portions constituting the primarypropulsion medium for said oar.

12. In oar structure, propulsion means for mounting on the handle of theoar comprising a hollow water engaging foraminous shell disposedtransversely of the direction of movement whereby the water enters thehollow interior of said shell through one foraminous portion thereof andis `discharged from said interior through another foraminous portionthereof.

13. In oar structure, propulsion means for mounting on the handle of theoar comprising a hollow water engaging foraminous walled shell disposedtransversely of the direction of movement, the openings in the Wall ofthe shell communicating with the interior thereof.

14. Oar structure comprising an elongate handle having propulsion meansmounted on one end thereof, said propulsion means comprising a hollowforaminous walled shell disposed transversely of the direction ofmovement, the foraminous wall portions of said shell constituting theprimary propulsion medium vfor said oar, the openings in said wallportions communicating with the hollow interior of the shell.,

15. An oar comprising an elongate handle and water engaging mea-nsconnected to one end of said handle, said means including an elongateforaminous annular shell substantially symmetrically arranged about itslongitudinal axis and presenting substantially similar water engagingsurface portions about the entire periphery thereof, the foraminousportions of said shell constituting the primary propulsion portion forsaid oar, the openings in said portions communicating with the interiorof said shell.

16. The structure set forth in claim 15, including float means foroating said shell at a predetermined depth in the water.

17. The structure set forth in claim 15, wherein said shell is generallyconical in form withthe cross section of said shell progressivelydecreasing in size from the inner to the outer end thereof. l 18. Thestructure set forth in claim 15, wherein said shell includes a series ofgenerally longitudinally disposed generally radially extendingcircumferentially spaced raised portions providing resistance to themovement of said shell through the water.

19. In oar structure, propulsion means for mounting on the handle of theoar, said propulsion means comprising a hollow shell constituting theprimary propulsion medium for said oar, said shell having a multiplicityof small openings formed therein over substantially the entire peripherythereof which communicate with the i11- terior of said shell.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,786,451 Ribard Dec. 30, 1930 2,367,222 Kurtz J an. 16, 1945 2,530,754Bienert Nov. 21, 1950 2,589,698 Jackson Mar. 18, 1952 2,711,547 BlivenJune 28, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,786 Great Britain 1888 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE .CERTIFICATE OF CRRECTION Patent No. 3,059,255 October 23,1962 Y Ralph E. Franklin l lt is hereby certified that error appears inthe above numbered pat# ent requiring correction and that the saidLetters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5, line l5, after "water" insert engaging Signed and sealed this26th day of March l93.

(SEAL) Attest:

ESTON G., JOHNSON DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents AttestingOfficer

